OCTOBER 31 is fast approaching, and that means one thing — Halloween is almost here. Despite the popular belief that Halloween has no significance in Jamaica, increasingly events have adopted its theme.

Many of you still don’t really know much about the tradition, so here are a few quick facts we found:

* The origin of Halloween can be traced back to various traditions. The two most popular being the Catholic vigil for All Saints Day (November 1). This vigil was held the night before and called All Hallows Eve or Hallowe’en. It was also said to derive from the Gaelic/Celtic festival Samhain, which marked the end of harvest and the beginning of winter.

* Trick-or-treating was originally a Celtic tradition where treats were put out to appease the spirits that roamed the streets during Samhain.

* Jack O’Lanterns, perhaps the most common Halloween decorations, were not originally made from pumpkins, but rather turnips.

* Halloween is the second most successful commercial holiday, the first being Christmas.

* According to folklore, if a person dresses with their clothes inside out and walks backwards he/she is sure to see a witch at midnight.

* Dressing up was another practice derived from the Celtic Samhain. They believed that during Halloween the dead could cross over into our world and dressing up as ghosts and ghouls would stop them from stealing your soul.

* Black and orange are considered the official colours of Halloween. Black symbolises the death of the summer and orange is associated with vibrant colours of the crops at the end of harvest.

* Halloween isn’t just about gore and candy. UNICEF has a Trick-or-Treat programme where instead of candy, money is collected for children across the world.

* Seeing a spider on Halloween is said to mean the spirit of a loved one is watching over you.

* In Mexico, their Halloween-like celebration is called Dia de los Muertos, and in China it is called Yue Lan.

Whatever you call it, whether you celebrate it or not, you have to admit the practices, myths and stories associated with Halloween are pretty interesting.

— Mederena Williams